Guide wire luer hub

Abstract

A guide wire luer hub has an elongated hub body with a longitudinal lumen having a plurality of transitions between different lumen sections with different diameters and/or taper angles. The guide wire luer hub is adapted for use with a coaxial guide wire tubing extending from a catheter control handle, where the coaxial tubing has an outer cover or tubing coaxially surrounding a guide wire inner body with a lumen adapted to receive a guide wire, including a guide wire having a floppy, U-bend distal end.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A guide wire luer hub for use with a coaxial tubing having an outer cover surrounding an inner body with a guide wire lumen of diameter DGW, comprising:
 a hub body having a longitudinal axis; and 
 a hub lumen extending through the body, the hub lumen having:
 a centering lumen section having a diameter DCL generally equal to or lesser than the diameter DGW; 
 a proximal lumen section having a distal diameter generally equal to the diameter DCL; 
 a radially wider distal lumen section and a radially narrower distal lumen section, the radially wider distal lumen section being distal of the radially narrower distal lumen section; 
 a distal stop at a junction between the radially wider and radially narrower distal lumen sections, the distal stop comprising a distal annular notch configured to abut with at least a portion of the outer cover and allow at least a portion of the inner body to extend into the radially narrower distal lumen section with the guide wire lumen longitudinally aligned with the centering lumen section; and 
 a proximal stop at a junction between the radially narrower distal lumen section and the centering lumen section, the proximal stop comprising a proximal annular notch configured to abut with at least a portion of the inner body. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The luer hub of  claim 1 , wherein each of the lumen sections is longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the hub body. 
     
     
       3. The luer hub of  claim 1 , wherein a larger diameter of the radially wider distal lumen section is generally equal to an outer diameter of the outer cover of the coaxial tubing, and a smaller diameter of the radially narrower distal lumen section is generally equal to an outer diameter of the inner body of the coaxial tubing. 
     
     
       4. A guide wire luer hub comprising:
 a hub body having a longitudinal axis; 
 a lumen extending through the hub body, the lumen including:
 a first proximal lumen section having a distal end diameter D 1 ; 
 a first distal lumen section having a proximal end diameter D 2 ; 
 a second distal lumen section having a proximal end diameter D 3 ; and 
 a centering lumen section between the first proximal lumen section and the first distal lumen section, having a uniform diameter UD between its proximal and distal ends, 
 
 each of the lumen sections is axially aligned with the longitudinal axis, 
 the diameter D 1  is generally equal to the uniform diameter UD, 
 the diameter D 2  is greater than the uniform diameter UD such that the hub comprises a proximal stop comprising a proximal annular notch at a junction between the first distal lumen section and the centering lumen section, and 
 the diameter D 3  is greater than the diameter D 2  such that the hub comprises a distal stop comprising a distal annular notch at a junction between the first distal lumen section and the second distal lumen section. 
 
     
     
       5. The luer hub of  claim 4 , wherein the hub is configured for use with a coaxial guide wire tubing having a distal portion with a larger diameter dd and a proximal portion with a smaller diameter pd, the diameter D 3  is equal to or slightly less than the diameter dd and the diameter D 2  is generally equal to or slightly less than the diameter pd. 
     
     
       6. The luer hub of  claim 4 , wherein the hub is configured for use with a coaxial guide wire tubing having an outer cover with a diameter dd and an exposed inner body proximal portion with a diameter pd, the diameter D 3  is generally equal to or slightly less than the diameter dd and the diameter D 2  is generally equal to or slightly less than the diameter pd. 
     
     
       7. The luer hub of  claim 6 , wherein a proximal end of the second distal lumen section is configured to abut with a proximal end face of the outer cover, and a proximal end of the first distal lumen section is configured to abut with a proximal end face of the exposed inner body proximal portion. 
     
     
       8. The luer hub of  claim 6 , wherein the proximal stop is configured to abut with a proximal end face of the exposed inner body proximal portion. 
     
     
       9. The luer hub of  claim 6 , wherein the exposed inner body proximal portion has a lumen with a diameter that is generally equal to the uniform diameter UD, and the lumen of the exposed inner body proximal portion and the centering lumen section are longitudinally aligned with each other. 
     
     
       10. The luer hub of  claim 4 , wherein the first proximal lumen section has a proximal end diameter larger than its distal end diameter.